The recent thread about banning gated communities, and past threads regarding child rearing, pets, tipping, toilet paper direction, urinal flushing, etc. contain numerous opinions of many posters that are extremely passionate about forcing other people to bend to their will regarding many of these mundane topics.
So, if you could, would you dictate how other people live their lives in such minute detail? If so, please describe the particular thing you are most passionate about controlling in other people.
We do as part of the social contract. We all basically agree on language, laws, customs, etc.
As far as controlling minute details, no. I don’t know if a lot of people (although I’m sure there is a strong minority who would) really want to force others to flush the toilet in certain ways. I think people are more just letting off steam.
Absolutely. In the ongoing cellphones at the movies thread, I mentioned that if I were omnipotent, there would be no cell phones. Sure, in some alternate reality, I’d like to wish us back to a time when they didn’t exist, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to support anti-cellphone laws, even if I had the power and resources to do so. There are plenty of things I dislike in this world that I fantasize about ending, but I’m not going to go all Kim Jung-SpoilerVirgin on everyone.
You people who come in here and complain that somebody tailgated you for miles and miles and miles—move the fuck over. To the right. Maybe there’s a pullout. Maybe there’s a driveway. Maybe there’s a whole other lane. Go there.
Don’t forget to signal on your way out of the faster driver’s way.
I wouldn’t want control of other peoples lives - I’d want to change how we educate people to participate in society. Basically, I’d “fight ignorance” and then hold people to a higher level of responsibility for their actions/choices.
ZOMG could we have it so that if you stand on the left (or right in left side countries) and you’re not moving you get an electric shock through the escalator? Oh please oh please oh please could we?
The other things in the OP don’t really all qualify as just bending people to your will, because they are also related to defending the rights of others (children, pets and waiters, for example). It’s not an arbitrary exercise in “I want you to do this”, it’s about “I don’t want this person to suffer”. Balancing rights 'n that.
But in the bending to my will: yes, all will walk on one side of the escalator. Muhahaha. :mad:
Although the world would be a much better place if I directed everything, I’m afraid I would lose the Supreme Dictator election and then be annoyed at somebody else’s ridiculous ideas and rules. Also, if i won, I bet I’d be assassinated within days once I put some of my plans into effect.
But if I did, I would ban scented personal care and cleaning products (except for real lemon extract), and forbid everyone from leaving the television on as default.
Perfume would be allowed as long as everyone understood that if you can smell your own scent, you’re wearing too much. And you can leave the t.v. on to do house-work.
And I, conversely, would love to give an electric shock to people who want to jog up the escalators and get upset if you’re in the way. The entire point of escalators is that I don’t have to move my legs. You want to climb the stairs, use the stairs.
Jogging up the escalator is by far the fastest way to get up into a leaving train etc. Escalators are wide enough to allow people in a hurry to move fast, if only the slow people would keep to one side and make room.